


Cool as Black Ice

by jedjubeed, UnderBlooky



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Anorexia warning, Anxiety, Dadster, Depression, F/F, Flashbacks, Frisk has PTSD, Frisk is 13, Hallucinations, M/M, MK is a double amputee, OR IS HE, Self Harm, Suicide mention, Toriel hates Asgore, a lot of mental disorders in fact, a lot of these are based on my own experience, alphys and sans have worked together under gaster, alphys is 27, asgore is 50, asgore is the one therapist, everyone likes him but, frisk tori and sans are the sign language club, gaster is here but he's in sans' head, grillby has issues, grillby is 40, he doesnt deal with the ones currently breaking down, he's mostly ok, he's not a real person, humantale, if i write any of hem wrong PLEASE tell me!, im joking he got caught in the machinery, mettaton is 22, monster kid is 11, napstablook is 21, napstablook is super nice?, papyrus had a bout of amnesia after his psychotic break he doesnt remember gaster, papyrus is 19, papyrus is bad at dealing with depression, sans can get violent, sans is 35, sans wont talk to him, that's toriel's job, they're humans, toriel is 47, toriel is a nurse, undyne is 23, you know the one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-23
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-07-16 20:23:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7283383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedjubeed/pseuds/jedjubeed, https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnderBlooky/pseuds/UnderBlooky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in an AU where everyone is friends in a mental asylum. (How original. I promise it's good.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Knife

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to be my beta reader for this work, another work, a series, or my oneshot series (Or all of them, I can't control you) shoot me a message at jedjubeed.tumblr.com!
> 
> It gets graphic after the first scene. If blood/graphic scenes bother you, you can skip it and go to the hospital scene. I'll fill everything in at the end notes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of gore.

"Sans, you need to eat!" The taller male exclaimed, as he cleaned his plate, looking back to his older brother. Sans was terribly thin, and his dinner remained untouched. Like usual.

"nah, don't worry about me, pap."

"Sans-..." Papyrus sighed. "I worry," Sans smiled.

"you don't need to, bro." Sans stood up, and paused for a moment as a wave of nausea and faintness washed over him, his ears ringing horribly and his vision fading temporarily.

Sans had been doing this for two months. Wouldn't eat for days at a time, and would pass it off as being tired. Well, maybe he wouldn't be so tired if he'd eat something!

Papyrus sighed and started to clean the other's plate as Sans walked away. Off to his room again, he saw. The younger brother shook his head and began to clean up the rest of the kitchen. Wiping the counters down, cleaning the dishes, sweeping the floor.

He hummed as he worked, something of solace as he busied himself.

After ten or so minutes of cleaning, he heard a slam of a door, a smash, and a loud thump.

"Sans? What just happened?"

"nothing papyrus, i'm fine."

"Are you sure?" A pause.

"yeah, bro."

 

Sans stared down at his hand, cupping the blood that was pouring down from the series of gashes he had made. He was blind to the pain by now.

He dug the point of he blade underneath one of the gashes, pulling the flesh away from the bone with a grin. He held his hand over the sink, rinsing the blood away from the lacerations. The blood just kept coming.

He flicked the water off and and picked the blade back up, digging it into the side of his wrist. Twisting the blade up, he used the knife as one would use a box opener. He could see the veins and tendons, straining and pumping.

He looked down with an amused look, plucking he serrations of his knife over his tendons. He could feel his fingers moving slower, hand numbing from the loss of blood.

He dug the tip of the knife into a vein, running it down the bare length. The dark, grainy circles around his vision were starting to close in.

"heh. never though I'd go through with it, huh?" He grinned wider, digging the edge deeper into his flesh.

He picked at the bone with the serrations, and before he knew it, he was falling to his knees, knife clattering just out of reach.

"Sans? What just happened?"

"nothing papyrus, I'm fine." How could you lie to your brother, Sans?

"Are you sure?" Fuck. Shut up, Papyrus. Stop talking. Maybe he should just sew those lips shut to teach him a lesson.

No.

He should just cut his tongue out.

Wait, fuck, stop hesitating.

"yeah, bro." He didn't hear anything else from downstairs. Good.

He struggled up to his feet, clutching the wound of his arm. He needed something to soak up he blood, and it sounded like Papyrus was already gone.

He stumbled down, hand covering most of the missing flesh of his right arm, blood  still dripping from his fingertips and elbow. He managed to make it to the linen closet without Papyrus spotting him, but when Sans closed the door after wrapping his arm, he saw Papyrus look out to the scene before him. His expression went from curious, to horrified, to concerned, worried, guilty, terrified and disgusted so quickly. It brought a smile to Sans' face.

"Sans, are you okay? Of course you're not okay but what happened-" In a moment Papyrus was rushing over to take the cloth off, before he froze.

"Sans... what did you do?"

"nothing, bro."

"Did you- were you _tearing your flesh off?"_

"what's it to ya?"

"Sans! You- you're bleeding.." Papyrus sobbed as he scrambled around to find his phone, gripping it so hard as he dialed that his knuckles turned white.

"really? didn't notice."

"Would you- Ugh!" Papyrus stomped out of the room to answer the operator on the phone. Sans picked the towel up and wrapped it back around his wound.

He fucked up. He didn't want to go to the hospital. He wanted to die. Bleed to death. Maybe next time he'd get it over with and shoot himself or jump off the roof.

He moved to sit down on the couch just as his brother walked in, putting the phone away.

"I'm not going to ask what made you want to do this," Papyrus started cautiously, "But I really want you to know that I care. You've done so much for the both of us, I just want you to be happy."

"heh. it's not gonna happen, pap. sorry. don't want you to be around me when I'm like this." Sans looked down. "I'm just turning into dad."

"Well if we figure out what's wrong, we can get help! So you don't turn into him." Sans shook his head, leaning back to close his eyes. The bleeding wasn't letting up at all. Both hands, his legs, the rag, the couch, the carpet were all stained with blood.

It was really taking a toll. He was weak, could hardly lift his arms, and he was so tired. Maybe he'd die in the ambulance or the hospital.

Speaking of, he could hear sirens blaring. How could he not hear that before?

It was only really a matter of seconds to him, before he awoke with an aching pain all over his body. His entire right arm was in searing pain, and his head was throbbing. He opened his eyes, before deeming that a horrible idea.

It was extremely bright. Pristine.

Blindingly so.

He decided to close his eyes again, through the muffled voices. He felt a hand wrapping itself around his left hand.

After he got to be a little less disoriented, he could hear faint beeping. Oh no.

He opened his eyes, looking around.

Hospital room.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no oh no-

"what-" Sans managed to get out, before his body slowly started to numb out. He started to struggle and thrash against the vel-cro holding his wrists to the sides of the bed, and he felt hands pushing him down.

"Sans- it's me. It's okay, you're okay-" Papyrus. He sounded calm. He could trust his brother.

He was getting tired again, anyway. With a sigh, he turned from the window in his room, his thoughts quickly blanking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> during the gore scene, pretty much sans ears his arm apart and then papyrus finds him while sans is getting something to soak up all that blood and calls 911  
> it wasn't all that plot-filled


	2. The Needle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not much gore, but Sans gets angry. Also, Sans and Papyrus talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it has a dead baby joke so like beware. 
> 
> also beta reader apps are closed, contrary to what the thingy says whoops,!

He woke again to the sound of Papyrus chattering. It was odd, as if he was carrying a one-sided conversation? As if Sans simply could not hear the other participant, or like Papyrus was just talking to himself without waiting for a response. A few times, he laughed. It was definitely not a normal laugh. As if what he was hearing or saying was downright hysterical, and the noise surpassed a chortle and crossed into a cackle. It was maniacal, Sans thought.

He blearily opened his eyes, before wincing at the light, his eyes watering up. God dammit, that was bright. He took in a breath and shifted his body, wincing. His right arm _really hurt._ Papyrus' chattering came to a stop as Sans looked down to his bandaged wrist.

"Oh! Good morn- or. Go- good to see you awake." Sans rested back into the cot. His wrists were bound to the sides of he bed.

"They had to uh, graft skin onto your arm. And they... had to... 'Restrict your ability to harm yourself as a safety precaution."

"oh. that makes sense."

"They just let me in last night. It was... It was bad. You almost died, Sans. They had to stitch your veins and they said you're not gonna move your right hand the same because the tendons were all torn up and there was nothing they could do about it." So _close._

"huh. thanks for fillin' me in, bro. how long have i been asleep?"

"A week. They had to keep you asleep with medicine so you could heal,"

"ok. how you been holdin' up?" Even if Sans was the one with the most potential to die, he would _always_ put Papyrus over anything.

"Hospitals aren't fun."

"they're not supposed to be."

"No but- the staff are rude. They say things about you that aren't true, and laugh when I tell them it isn't true. They say I don't know because I'm not as old as them."

"hey, papyrus, you're a smart kid. but uh, what kinda stuff did they say about me?" Papyrus' voice dropped to a whisper. He sounded devastated.

"They said you were insane and needed help. They said I couldn't be with you any more and that I needed to leave and live by myself." Sans sighed at this.

"look, pap, i'm not the best person to take care of you. i wish i didn't have to say that."

_**He's right. You're insane, you don't deserve someone like him.** _

Sans frowned slightly.

"but if they're gonna toss me in the looney bin, so be it. you should get a job."

"They're not going to-... they're not going to. I won't let them."

"you're gonna have to, bro. 'm dangerous to you,"

"I know you wouldn't hurt me! I'm fine!" Sans shook his head.

"Like I said, if they're gonna take me, i can't do anything about it. none of us can."

_**You'll hurt him worse than you hurt yourself. There's no saving him.** _

"I-" Papyrus sighed, clasping his hands beneath his chin. "I'm afraid. Living without... someone. You."

"... papyrus. don't," he shook his head, "don't. you'll be fine. it's okay. if they're taking me- when they take me, i won't have a choice." Papyrus dropped his head into his palms.

"Why did you have to go and get yourself into here? Why?" His voice was shaking.

"i'm sorry, i didn't think it'd end this way." Papyrus lifted his head, tears welling in his eyes.

"Then how did you _think_ this was going to end? Did you think someone was going to let you BLEED out?"

"..." Sans was speechless. Papyrus winced, seeming to recoil.

"Brother- I'm sorry. I'm just... I worry about you."

"i know, pap. i worry about you too."

"You don't have to. I'm fine."

"Ok, yeah, famous last words. Next thing you know you'll have jumped out a window," Sans rolled his eyes, leaning back into the cot. Papyrus gasped, wearing he same familiar I'm-Not-Mad-But-I'm-Acting-Like-I-Am look.

"Sans! How could you joke about that!"

"yeah, i know, it's offensive to people that have jumped out windows." Papyrus held back a laugh.

"I'd go out without making a mess and just drink bleach with a silly straw!"

"'oh that's offensive', the pot says to the kettle."

"It'd better than making racist jokes."

"hey- what's worse than four dead babies stapled to a tree?"

"... do I want to know?"

"Aadead baby stapled to four trees." The look on Papyrus' face was priceless.

The moment was cut off by a loud knock at the door and a nurse standing there with a clipboard.

"Sans Gaster?" Sans flinched.

"that's me." Papyrus looked confused.

"If I could, I'd like to ask a few questions." The nurse glanced at Papyrus.

"think that means you gotta scram, pap." The taller nodded and stood, walking out.

"Now, Mr. Gaster-"

"just call me sans."

"Yes. Now, Sans, have you experienced any depression? Specifically in the two weeks prior to the accident."

"uh, yep."

"Anxiety?"

"yup."

"Hallucinations or paranoia?"

"yes."

"What kind of hallucinations?"

"someone talkin' to me, making snarky comment on my conversations."

"It seems you're... extremely underweight. Was this your own doing?"

"i guess."

"What do you usually eat in a day?"

"nothing."

"Do you have anything to drink?"

"usually vodka. water in the mornings."

"Can you describe your sleeping schedule?"

"i sleep all day and i drink all night."

"Do you drink alone or with others?"

"i go to a bar. 'm good friends with some of the regulars."

"Do you have any significant relations with anyone?"

"nope."

"Have you ever?"

"uh, yeah. had a boyfriend back in college."

"Are you still in contact?"

"nope. we broke up when he bought a bar. last i heard, he was married."

"Was it an abusive or unhealthy relationship?"

"nah."

"I says here your mother passed when you were sixteen. How was your relationship with her?"

"she was great."

"Your father? Says he passed eight years ago."

"..he sure did."

"How was your relationship with him?"

"i.. think I'm done talking now."

"Was it abusive?" Sans growled.

"i'm. done. talking. thanks, bye, don't let the door hit you on your way out." The nurse held for a moment, before she left the room. Papyrus walked back in after she was gone, and Sans was fairly sure he was done talking to anyone. He waved at Papyrus, and shifted back. Papyrus seemed to get it, and simply sat quietly with his phone as Sans fell asleep.

Papyrus was right. That nurse was pushy, and he almost regretted letting her talk to him.

Well, he wouldn't worry about it now.

When he woke up, Papyrus was gone. There was a note on the table beside he cot, conveniently just within his reach. He reached over and took it, unfolding the paper.

_They're making me leave. For good. Won't let me visit. Bye._

Thanks for the heartfelt goodbye, Papyrus. He must have been really upset.

Well, knowing Papyrus, he'd find a way to see him.

He took a moment to be grateful for such a smart brother.


	3. Bored to Death (pun intended)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which an old flame (ha ha) is rekindled (not really) and some new characters are introduced.

They got Sans into a fresh set of clothes, as his were all dirty and blood-stained. They probably threw them away. God dammit, he liked that jacket. Oh well, all good things must come to an end. So, now he was wearing a gray sweatshirt, and gray sweatpants. It did not look good on him. He hated groutfits. 

He got to go to one of those mental facility bullshit places in the back of a cop car. Well, at least he wasn't handcuffed or anything, but it's not like they clean those things out after carting off drunk teens. It was gross, but he could still deal.

Fuck, his stitches itched. A lot. But he'd get yelled at every time he picked at it, and it really wasn't worth it. 

Soon enough, he was getting escorted into this place. New Home Psychiatry Hospital. What a great name. The cops guided him into the lobby of the place. It was... an interesting setup. It wasn't too large of a waiting room, chairs lining the wall, a small desk at the front, straight shot from the door. It smelled like 409 and piss, just like the medical hospital. The walls were either a light shade of off-white, or just old. The carpet was tacky, green and blue with geometric patterns.

He was directed back down a hallway, the door bearing a sign with the words "STAFF AND RESIDENTS ONLY". Guess he was a resident now, huh? The hallway was long, but it wasn't narrow. There was tile floor, and the walls were a shade of green. It was that kind of off-putting green that wasn't quite right, like a white-washed forest green, but not quite vibrant enough to be remotely neon or lime. It had too much blue. He wanted to throw up.

He was led into a small room, on the right-hand side of the hallway. To the left was another branch of hallways. The room was like… walking into a completely different universe. It was small and cozy, with a large man sitting at the desk. Not intimidating large, like a huge stuffed animal large. There was dark hardwood, and the walls were royal purple. The only lighting was the window looking outside and a lamp on the desk. It was quite comfortable. 

"Oh, why hello Mr. Sans, I've heard much about you. I'm Dr. Asgore Dreemurr, I'll be your psychiatrist for the time being."

"just call me sans, dude. and, that's pretty cool, but uh. i don't got any issues to talk about, so don't expect a whole lot."

"I'm not saying you have to talk, I'm just saying that if you ever need to, don't be afraid to." He smiled warmly.

"um, okay. so, where am i gonna stay? it said residents, so i can imagine i'd get a room."

"Once the front office is done with some paperwork and has your admission slip, a staff member will come get you and escort you to your room. I hope you're not against getting a roommate. We've had someone on their own in a double room for a while now."

"nah, roommates are cool. does everyone get a cool roomie?"

"Only people that are stable enough to be around other people like that can or will be put into a room with another person, and we've decided that you're not going to harm anyone, so we're granting you that privilege."

"cool. always wanted to meet a crazy guy."

"We don't use those words here. No one is crazy, simply ill. We aim to treat them."

"okay, cool. so, when do i get to go to my room?"

"Whenever the front desk gets your files in. They'll send someone to-" Asgore was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in!" Sans looked up to see a woman with short, ice-blonde hair, wearing scrubs. Everything about her was so warm, and kind, down to her smile. 

"Mr. Sans?" She asked, looking down at him. Sans nodded, and stood, but she was still quite a bit taller than him.

"yeah, that's me."

"Oh! Hello, I'm nurse Toriel. I'll be taking you to your room. Come with me, now." She turned to walk out, and Sans followed, waving goodbye to Asgore. She then led Sans down a few hallways, telling him little bits to help remember his way around, and her giving directions to various places - the cafeteria, Asgore's office, visiting center - Sans physically cringed at that one - the Lounge (though he couldn't go there yet, he had to be cleared) and the main office - before they came up to his room. Room number 12, gotta remember that. She handed over a key.

"Don't lose this, you'll need it to get in and out when your roommate isn't there. Good luck!"

"wait, hang on. before i open that door," He paused. "is he nice?" Toriel laughed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Why don't you find out?" And with that, she was walking back down the hallway, humming softly. Sans sighed and palmed the key in his hand, before shrugging. He pushed it into the lock, turned it, and opened the door.

The carpet was a soft lilac, the walls white. There was a window, and just by a glance, it was clear they couldn't be opened. He stepped in, and removed his key, closing the door. The sight before him made him freeze, like a deer in headlights.

The room was almost completely bare, two cots on opposite sides of the room. Another doorway leading into a bathroom. Another dude sitting on the cot, a pile of books on the floor, one in his hands. He was tall, his hair a striking shade of ginger. He _knew_ this guy. This guy was the most emotionally stable dude he had ever met, why was he in here?

"……hello, Sans. I wasn't… expecting this when they said I'd be getting a roommate."

"uh, heh, yeah." He tugged at the sleeves of his sweatshirt as he walked over to sit on the other bed. "wasn't expecting you to, be in a place like this at all. what gives?"

"………" He looked away, running his fingers through his loose hair to get it out of his face. "It's… a long, boring story that I doubt you want to hear. What about yourself?" 

"….um, also a long, boring, bloody story." Probably subconsciously, he starting rubbing at his stitches beneath his sleeve. 

"Well, I for one am interested. If you want to share, at least."

It wasn't like he and Grillby had a horrible breakup, it was actually quite an easy breakup. They just had more things in their lives and decided to put that relationship to rest. It was just easier. But sitting here, in a _psychiatric hospital,_ sitting across from his old college boyfriend, it was just weird.

"i dunno dude. i uh, i've been drinkin a lot for a while and i guess i just…. snapped." Grillby nodded, and closed his book, setting it aside.

"After I graduated, I decided to open a bar. I got married - had a daughter, even." He drummed his fingers against his knee. "I… guess work got in the way of my personal life. I was spending so much time working, it just… one day she just gave me the paperwork for a divorce." He paused for a moment to collect himself. "She kicked me out. Wouldn't let my daughter have any contact with me. I was spending less and less time at work, and I just… lost all my money. And I guess you can see where jobless leads."

"did you try and….?" He slid his thumb across his neck.

"Well, yes. And then assaulted a nurse at the hospital, and here I am."

"man, that sucks. i just tore myself apart and yelled at a nurse."

"Tore yourself apart?"

"they had me out for a week, grafting skin onto my arm so i didn't pick at it. my little brother was there the entire time and got the boot on the last day. won't even let him visit."

"Well, yes, they don't allow visitors until you get to your fourth stage."

"stage?" Sans looked up from his lap.

"Oh, you have to get through ten stages. Each one you get cleared for different things, and on your tenth, you get to leave. Your first one you're confined to your room and the cafeteria, second you can wander the halls, third you can get cleared for paper for writing, fourth they put you on pills, that kind of stuff."

"hey, that's pretty neat." He grinned. "what stage are you on?" Grillby simply held up four fingers.

"I can only walk around the halls, write with pencils and have visitors, but I don't have anyone to visit me."

"grillb, you've got a super cool roommate. what could be better?" Breaking out the old nicknames.

"Well, it is a nice surprise, but the first time I was allowed to get visitors my daughter actually came in. … It was nice." Sans sighed and kicked his feet up onto the bed.

"they told Pap that i was too dangerous to visit me, so."

"Hospital staff said that?" Sans just nodded. "Yeah, they're a running joke around here. Horrible people," Grillby continued.

"yeah. they really are."

"Some people admitted by staff phase through all of the steps in less than a month because there is literally _nothing_ wrong with them."

"man, that's funny. i'll probably be in here for like, a year."

"I've been here two months. I'm faster than some of the other members down this hallway, but there are ways to go backwards down that ladder." Sans put his hands behind his head, onto the pillow. 

"there a step where you can like, leave this place and go out in town?"

"Seven. But you've gotta have staff with you, and one other hospital member. The groups are usually pretty close-knit, and around the same level."

"so, you've got a friend group?"

"Well… kind of. If Alphys, Mettaton, and Undyne count. It's mostly just who you sit with at meals."

"…. you just said alphys, right?"

"Yes. Short, blonde, freckles, coke bottle glasses?"

"used to work with that girl. she just kinda… disappeared one day? it was kinda weird, but i guess she came here."

"Probably. She hasn't been here that long, but she's been here more than once, and all of the staff knows her very well." 

"huh. hey, the toriel lady talked about different age groups. what was that about?"

"This is a big place. I know that we're one of the oldest age groups, and the youngest goes to about… eleven? Around there. We don't have young children here."

"cool. so, stay away from the kids. got it." 

"The adults and children don't mingle. We have two separate wings and different lounge areas. They tend to sit on one side of the cafeteria, and the adults on the other." 

"that's pretty dang cool." He yawned, and looked around for a clock, It was almost 10 PM. Wow, his sleep schedule was all messed up. Why was he tired?

"Tired?"

"man, i guess sleeping for a week straight really cleaned up my sleeping schedule."

"Lights out is at 11. But if you want to go to bed, I'll be quiet." Grillby leaned back into his bed, picking the book back up.

"yeah, thanks dude." He looked around for a bit, before hitting the light switch. He kicked his slippers off and didn't even bother with the blanket. It was a comfortable temperature without it.


	4. Trendsetter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yikes i been mia for a bit. enjoy

Sans quickly discovered that this place wasn’t like the looney bins in movies. After breakfast he had a few hours of downtime, so he ventured back to his room to take a nap, which was really the only thing he was cleared to do. Nurse Toriel woke him up and reminded him it was time for his group therapy session, so sans went with her, still groggy from his sleep.

“so what’s this all about?” Sans asked as Toriel led him down the hall. “this group therapy thing, i mean.”

“Well, it’s.. Generally not too interesting, unless something interesting happens. It’s nothing I can explain, I’ve only heard about it myself! Just wait to see what happens, I suppose,” Toriel hummed in response. Sans shrugged, Toriel waved. Sans walked in. He didn’t seem to be late. The room was filled with other adults, most Sans didn’t recognize, two he did. He took a seat beside Grillby.

The uncomfortable plastic chairs were arranged in a circle, Asgore sitting at the head of the circle. He began.

“Now, everyone, we have a new member, Sans.” When named, he nodded.

“heya.”

“Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself,” Asgore carried on, smiling.

“uh, yeah, well. never expected to be in one of these places, heh. no offense.”

“This is a place of help, and recovery,” Asgore added, before continuing, “Would anyone else like to say anything?” One could practically hear the crickets. They sat there awkwardly for a bit, before Asgore clasped his hands together. “Well, if no one else has anything to say, I believe we should introduce ourselves to Sans.” He nodded to a man sitting with his legs crossed, fixing his long black hair over his face. “Now, Mack, would you like to start?”

“Oh, well, I suppose?” He leaned forward, resting his hands gently onto his knees. “My name is Mack, but I would greatly appreciate if you called me Mettaton, darling. It’s my stage name, after all!” Mack pursed his lips, and fluttered his eyelashes. Yep, he was… probably a stripper. Cool. The character then nodded to the woman sitting beside him, a woman with striking red hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. 

“Hey! The name’s Undyne, used to be a police chief in New York! But uh, then… yeah,” She trailed off, but then gave a toothy smile.  _ Probably killed someone, _ Sans took a mental note. A rather skinny young… adult looked up. They were extremely pale, with white hair. They hardly looked to be even seventeen, they were so small. 

“....oh, hi…. i’m nick…. but everyone calls me napstablook….. for some reason….” Everyone looked proud. He probably didn’t talk much. Seemed nice. A beat later, Alphys looked over to Asgore, then to Sans, seeing as they were all vaguely addressing him.

“U-um, hi! I’m Alphys, b-but you! Already know me! I. Mean. Unless you were- uh- t-trying to! Forget the job-” She slapped a hand over her mouth just after she stopped herself, her face flushing into a deep crimson, knees tucking into her chest.

“hey, alph, nice to see ya again. even under the… uh, circumstances,” Sans coughed out awkwardly. Asgore shuffled and pulled a pad of paper out to scribble something down. Alphys looked like she was going to start sobbing. Asgore glanced up at Sans.

“Job?”

“oh, yeah, me an’ alph go way back. worked together a while ago, when she was fresh outta college. don’t work there anymore, it’s insignificant-”

“Insignificant?” Alphys cut in before he could finish, “I- it was- it wasn’t-”

“alph. sh.” Asgore scribbled something down, yet again, look on his face telling all Sans needed to know about what had just happened.

“Alright, and Grillby? Don’t wait up for me.”

“I’m afraid I already know Sans personally as well,” Grillby responded, “Roomates, we already went through introductions.” Asgore nodded, and smiled warmly, folding his hands over his clipboard. 

“You all may go besides Alphys, Grillby, and Sans, I’ll be keeping you for just a moment.” Sans leaned forward to rub his face, and Grillby set a hand on his back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: the largest singular object in the entire known and/or observable universe is a gigantic fucking void in which no stars, planets, suns or galaxies (nothing. absolutely nothing. not even black holes) exist, and researchers say it could be the imprint from a parallel universe


End file.
